SANTA CLARA, Calif. - In the first game of a doubleheader, Santa Clara downed the University of Illinois-Chicago 10-3. The Broncos used a five-run fifth inning to overpower the flames. Santa Clara improved to 3-3, while UIC dropped to 2-3.
Santa Clara starter Chris Mendoza (1-0) picked up the win, while Jack Andersen (0-2) was credited with the loss for the Flames. Max Deering (1-0) picked up the three-inning save for the Broncos.
The Broncos offensive production was led by Quinton Perry, Matt Ozanne and Casey Munoz, who all tallied multiple-RBI outings. Perry drove in three runs and hit a towering solo homer in the fourth inning. Ozanne and Munoz both notched two RBI.
Mendoza and Anderson traded scoreless innings through two innings with both pitchers getting out of jams in the second inning.
In the top of the second, Alex Grunenwald smacked a double to left to leadoff the inning, but Mendoza came up with a heads up play on a failed bunt attempt from Harry Kammholz to retire Grunenwald. Mendoza then retired two Flames to end the scoring threat.
In the bottom of the second frame, Santa Clara left a pair of runners on base and could not capitalize on a scoring opportunity. After Perry drew a leadoff walk, M. Ozanne and Munoz singled, but Perry was thrown out at home on Munoz's single. Andersen retired the next two Santa Clara batters to escape the inning.
UIC got on the board first in the third inning with a sacrifice fly from Tyler Detmer to take a 1-0 advantage.
After Mendoza threw a scoreless top of the fourth, Perry tied the game with a solo homer, that he crushed to deep center in the bottom half of the inning. Entering the fifth inning, the Broncos and Flames were even at 1-1.
The Broncos took the lead with a big fifth inning, scoring five runs to take a 6-1 advantage. Drew Ozanne started the inning with a leadoff walk followed by a Peter Summerville single to shallow right field. Kert Woods was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Santa Clara. Justin Viele picked up a RBI on a sacrifice fly to deep center that moved Woods and Summerville to second and third, respectively. Greg Harisis walked before Perry hit a sacrifice fly to left field that ended Andersen's day. Mike Schoolcraft, who replaced Andersen on the mound for UIC, walked M. Ozanne. Munoz added a two-RBI single with two outs.
Illinois-Chicago responded in the top of the seventh. The Flames loaded the bases before Mendoza walked in a run. Mendoza was lifted in favor of lefty reliever Max Deering. Deering forced a double play that allowed one run to score before ending the inning with a routine fly ball to right field. Entering the seventh-inning stretch, the Broncos held a 6-3 lead.
In the bottom of the frame, the Broncos added to their lead with Perry's second sacrifice fly of the contest that extended Santa Clara's lead to 7-4.
Deering struck out three batters in the top eighth. In the bottom of the inning, Zach Looney hit a one-out triple and scored on a RBI single by Woods. The Broncos added two more on a two-RBI single from M. Ozanne.
Deering trotted out for the ninth inning and finished off UIC as the Broncos cruised to a 10-3victory.
Game Notes: First pitch 1:01 p.m. ... Zach Looney replaced Peter Summerville at catcher in the seventh inning ... Mike Schoolcraft was replaced by Tim Suminksi in the bottom of the seventh inning.